


And in the Dark, There is Hope

by Gretccheen



Category: A Series of Unfortunate Events (TV), A Series of Unfortunate Events - Lemony Snicket
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon Compliant, Cuddling, F/M, I just couldn't wait to write this, I'm happy with how it turned out regardless, Klaus is soft, Mostly seen as platonic but can be seen as romantic, Sibling Incest, Sunny is mentioned like twice, Violet and Klaus are probably out of character and I apologize, Violet is a Good Sister
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-03
Updated: 2017-12-03
Packaged: 2019-02-09 22:46:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12898449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gretccheen/pseuds/Gretccheen
Summary: Based on the ending of the first episode of the T.V. show.In the dark, Violet does what she can to console her brother; because this something is much, much worse than nothing.





	And in the Dark, There is Hope

**Author's Note:**

> It has been a long, long time since I read the novels, and even then I'm not sure I ever finished them. I was inspired to write this after watching the first episode of the show. As such, the characters may be out of character, and I sincerely apologize for that.

"Violet?"

Klaus's voice startles her out of her thoughts, and she turns as much as she is able in the bed that is far too small for the three of them in order to look at him properly. "Klaus?" He takes his time responding to her, and Violet tries not to let this worry her. The bed creaks again after a moment, Klaus turning so he, too, is now facing her. "This is not better than nothing." She knows, agrees even, and her fingers flex as she tries to come up with something,  _anything_ , to say in response. Finally she settles on sitting up, the process painfully slow in an attempt to avoid waking her sister. Violet can feel his eyes on him, not a single sound in the room save for their breathing and the distant rumbling of thunder. "Come here," she whispers, and confusions flitters across his face. Despite this he carefully sits up, running his fingers idly through Sunny's hair once he had. 

"Violet,"  _Again with her name_ , Violet thinks worriedly. Her brother is intelligent, always well spoken, but something inside him was broken. She wasn't sure what it was, let alone if she could fix it. Instead she pats the space beside her once, twice, and Klaus rises shakily from the bed. The floor groans in protest and the bed sighs in relief, causing them both to still, breaths held so tightly behind their lips so long that it was a wonder they didn't go blue in the face. Eventually Klaus lets it out in a rush, shoulders drooping with the release of what seemed to be the weight of the world on his shoulders. Violet slowly lets hers out, too, eyes scanning over Klaus's profile in the dark. They all had handsome features, a gift (however unintentional) from their parents, but it was much easier to see his without his glasses. Not that Violet didn't think he looked good in them--he looked perfect in them--but here, now, in the dark of their room with the presence of rain hanging heavy in the air he looked so much like their father it almost hurt. She doesn't say this, instead giving the bed another pat, more insistent this time. 

After several moments Klaus reached her side of the bed, shifting awkwardly in front of her. He looks helpless in the dark, and Violet's heart breaks for him. She can't imagine she looks much better to him, but she pushes that thought to the furthest recesses of her mind. Violet reaches for his right hand, taking it in both of hers. She has to lean so far forward she's nearly off the bed, and Klaus, thankfully, takes a few steps forward. "Klaus," she sounds too loud in her own ears, but Klaus leans forward, as if he was straining to hear her. "Sit." Violet guides him, shifting as much as she dares to accommodate him.  Despite this, their knees are still touching, her brother's hand still tightly clasped in her own. "I'm sorry." There are plenty things she is sorry for, but she can't find the heart to say any of them aloud. Klaus seems to understand, bringing his free hand to wrap around the one's holding his. It settles around her right wrist, long fingers still barely managing to wrap all the way around it. 

Neither are sure how long they stay like that, but when Violet speaks again her throat feels painfully tight, as if she had been trying to hold back tears. Perhaps she had. "I'm sorry he hit you." Klaus says nothing, and Violet slowly removes her left hand from the tangled mess theirs had become. Even though she raises it slowly towards his face Klaus still flinches and it fills her with a hate so strong it made her blood feel like poison, heat surging through her body as the words,  _Dead, I want him dead_ , repeated over and over in her mind. Her hand makes contact with his cheek, fingers brushing over the beginnings of a bruise she can't quite make out with all the shadows coating his face. His breath hitches in what could have pain, what could have been sob he forced back, and she draws her fingers over it again, unsure of how she will do it but desperate to bring all of his pain to the surface so she can get rid of it. Her fingers begin trembling, but she presses onward. If she can't believe she will do it, then she won't. 

Klaus takes a shaking breath, eyes squeezing shut and grip tightening on her wrist. Violet takes it as a 'if you stop, I'll break into a million pieces' and not a 'please, stop, you're hurting me'. "It's okay."  _Okay to cry, okay to hurt._ "I'm here."  _I'll protect you until I die; I won't let him touch you again._ "Promise."  _Just stay with me another moment, Klaus_. Violet's words are met with a violent tremor going through her brother's body, teeth sinking into his bottom lip so harshly she worries for a moment it will bleed. Acutely she's aware that Sunny is sleeping only a few inches away, but she has been sleeping through the night for ages now. Still, the fear that any noise will wake her isn't in her mind alone, and she leans closer to Klaus. He does it too, instinctually, and her chin bumps into his forehead but neither of them care. Violet's hair creates a curtain, and she whishes she could shield him just as it did. "Violet," his voice breaks in the middle, and Violet grips his hand tighter. Words hang between them, and rain begins to hit he rooftop, making Klaus's grip tighten almost painfully and Violet sigh. 

"Come here," she whispers, and he does, closing all the space between them. His head falls onto her shoulder, hands moving to splay across her back. She rests her chin on the top of his head, right hand threading through the soft hairs at the as of his neck while her left traces words into his back. He's too far gone to register what they are, and eventually their meaning becomes nothing more than a sign of trust, of love, of a promise for something better. He doesn't dare tell her that he worries a better tomorrow will never come. Klaus only claws at the fabric of his sister's nightdress in a way that must be uncomfortable for her, but Violet just hums and drags her fingers down his neck to just underneath the collar of his nightshirt. It makes him shudder, and a flash of lightening illuminates the room. 

Somewhere deep inside him shame is hiding, burning him from the inside out at the fact that his sister is coddling him so much, but his gratitude outweighs the gratitude that washes over him in waves, starting where Violet's fingers trace his name into his shoulder. Guilt begins to surface too, as thunder rumbles and Violet stifles by placing a kiss to the crown of his head. "It's late," he whispers into her shoulder, and she hums softly.

"We've stayed up late before." She retorts, and she pulls him impossibly closer. They  _had_ stayed up late, when things weren't like this; when things were  _normal_. He can practically feel the weight of a book on his knees, the feeling of Violet's hand on his knees as she leaned to better read the text; he could hear Sunny's cooing and their parents talking from the room over. It felt like that had been years ago instead of days, and it makes his heart twist into something ugly. "Klaus, get out of there." He laughs weakly, although it sounds more like a sob, and Violet squeezes him. "You should sleep."

"So should you." Another flash of lightening. "Violet, I."

"I know," the thunder nearly blocks out the soft whisper of, "me too." Slowly they pull themselves apart, and Violet brings up both her hands to cup his face. "It will be okay." It's whispered more to herself than to him, in the end, but he nods, jostling her hands.

"It will be okay," he parrots, and she smiles. Even in the dark the shadows seem lighter because of it, and with shaking hands he tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. He stands slowly, bed creaking and body feeling stiff. Violet's gaze follows him as he makes his careful track back to his side of the bed, watching as he settles onto the bed which still sags and strains dangerously even as he tried to gently ease his weight onto it. He turns so he's on his side, eyes trained on Violet as she does the same with much more grace than he had. She reaches a hand across the bed, carefully avoiding Sunny's head. Klaus takes it, trying to keep his grip loose as he shuts his eyes. Violet watches him fondly as his breathing evens out and his face settles into the most peaceful she has seen it all day. She doesn't join her siblings in sleep until the thunder has rumbled it's last and the rain hitting the roof sounds like it's going to stop. 

When she wakes, her hand is still tightly entwined with her brother's, and Violet dares to hope that there might be a better future for all three of them.

 

 


End file.
